Sixth newsletter: HR, Driverless & Test team

Newsletter 6

Welcome back to another newsletter! In this newsletter we will cover Human resource, Driverless team and The Test Team. These teams are all important for the organisation to go around and to get a working car so we can go to competition.

Human Resources

Human Resources, HR, is responsible for many of the organisation’s recurring processes, such as recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding. In addition, they focus on strengthening the organisation’s culture, supporting management and leadership in their roles, and assisting members with organisational matters. Alongside these core responsibilities, the team also works on strategic initiatives and internal development projects.

At the start of this project year, HR consisted of three members working closely together across all areas. Following the winter recruitment, the team has grown to five people, allowing for a clearer division of responsibilities based on individual interests and prior experience.

HR collaborates with all teams to some extent, especially during recruitment periods and when collecting organisational data. Though their closest working relationship is with the President and the Management team.

The most intense periods for HR are, as you can guess, during the recruitment periods. The organisation runs three types of recruitments: management (internal), leadership (a mix of internal and external), and general member recruitment (external). Each process requires careful planning and coordination to ensure a smooth experience for all applicants.

A fun fact about the team is that they are no longer the smallest group in the organisation. This year’s team also represents a diverse academic background, with a majority studying HR, and has placed a strong focus on strategic development of the whole organisation.

Driverless Team

The Driverless team’s main mission is to bring autonomous functionality to the car, with the long-term goal of developing a fully driverless vehicle that could be part of a future platform, such as ER27. Their responsibility is to push the boundaries of what the organisation can achieve in autonomous systems.

The team is divided into two groups: a software group consisting of nine members and a mechanical group of four. The software team is responsible for all driverless-related code, as well as ensuring proper electronic integration. Meanwhile, the mechanical team works on modifying the car to make it safely controllable by a computer. This includes implementing digital steering, integrating sensors, and designing an emergency braking system.

Collaboration with other teams has been limited this year, although they have received valuable support from the Internal Systems and Electronics teams when needed.

The team doesn´t have any specific stressful periods. They describe their stress levels as both “always and never” since most pressure comes from their own ambitions rather than external deadlines.

A key part of their work involves a simulator built using the Gazebo physics engine. This tool allows them to test and validate their software in a virtual environment before running real-world tests. While the simulator is relatively simple, it provides sufficient realism to support development and enables the team to optimize algorithms using a data-driven approach.

As a fun fact, the Driverless team is highly international, with members representing five different non-Scandinavian nationalities. And looking ahead the vision is clear: Driverless for the ER27 project.

Test Team

The Test Team consists of nine members and plays a critical role in ensuring the car’s performance and safety. The team is divided into two main roles: Test Engineers and CAD Engineers. Test Engineers are responsible for planning and executing all testing activities, while CAD Engineers design systems and ensure they can be successfully manufactured by the organisation.

The team collaborates closely with almost all technical teams that need parts produced, such as Vehicle Dynamics, Electronics, and Aerodynamics. The systems developed by these teams are essential to the car’s overall performance and therefore require thorough validation through testing.

The most demanding but also the most rewarding period for the Test Team is the testing phase. Once the car is assembled, extensive testing begins, making careful planning and coordination crucial for success.

Among the many tests performed, electrical safety and brake testing are especially critical to ensure the car operates safely. However, endurance testing stands out as one of the most important aspects. During competition, the endurance event places the greatest strain on both the car and the driver, making it a key benchmark for overall performance.

The team’s next major milestone will be the very first test of ER26. Naturally, this will be a brake test, as ensuring reliable braking is fundamental to both safety and functionality of the car.

A fun fact about the Test Team is that, despite its name, the majority of members actually work as CAD Engineers rather than Test Engineers highlighting the team’s strong focus on design as well as testing.

Now all teams in the organisation have had the opportunity to present themselves in the newsletter. We are in the middle of the production process and in the next letter you will get an update on how the ER26 project is going!